Pearl Drops: Daughters of Mischief
by ashehole
Summary: Ariel is the tough Pandora Daughter. But she's also the daughter of Tymmie and Cassandra. When Pandora sends her a protector, she refuses to accept him, until her father once again interferes. Will she deny her dark heritage to join the light? Side story.
1. Prologue

**Summary: While on a run, Ariel witnesses something unexplainable, but actually normal in her world: a boy has just fallen from the sky. But this boy isn't just a boy, but a slave prince brought back to be a protector for one of the Daughters of Mischief. Unfortunately, this arrogant prince is bound to Ariel, who is known for her own air of stubbornness and superiority. Unfortunately, a dark and deadly power lies within the soul of Orlando, and Ariel's father knows all about it. The two are forced to get along in order to answer the biggest question of their lives: Will they deny who they were born to be to become the heroes?**

_Run. That was the only word in his mind. It was the action that he needed to continue doing. He couldn't stop, or the guards would catch him. Freedom was what he was running for. His life of slavery would soon be no more. Freedom was a word whispered in the darkness of his life._

_He stumbled across the streets, scraping his bare feet as he fell through a rock path. As much as wanted to cry out with his obvious pain, he kept the urge in control. He laid there a couple of minutes, his breath ragged, and his body numb with pain. His masters would hopefully not notice him missing until the morning._

_He continued lying on the cool, hard stone beneath of him. Tears finally fled from the prison in his eyes. They felt so soothing on his cheeks._

_Footsteps close by startled him. If someone found him, the pain he would endure would be worse than death itself. It would make him beg for them to finally end it!_

_"Do not fret, sweet prince." The sweet voice wrapped around him in a soothing way. "Your masters are behind you. For now, I have cloaked you. I will give you two choices. You can go back to your life here, or you can protect one of my daughters."_

_He lifted his head. The woman was so beautiful. She didn't seem natural. She was like a goddess. "Please…Don't let them take me. Don't let them hurt my people through me anymore."_

_"You wish to protect my daughter, then?"_

_"Yes. I will do anything to escape."_

_The wind shifted. He briefly saw a tunnel open in the sky before slipping into unconsciousness. _

_"As long as evil doesn't follow you, sweet prince. It would make an enemy of my daughters," Pandora whispered after the runaway slave._


	2. Gift from the Sky

**Disclaimer: I do not own or write Lynn Ewing's books, Daughters of the Moon. I am, however, a great fan and use her work as inspiration for my own not-original-but-still-original stories. I do own, however, the concept of the Pandora Daughters as they are, and the characters Ariel, Orlando, Torrence, Nikolas, Phobos, Gissele, Evangeline, and Tiberius. I also own any other characters of which you have never read, including later on, the son of Aura and Lambert. Enjoy!**

**Part One: Ariel**

**Chapter One: Gift from the Sky**

Ariel pulled her hood up, placing it over her head and letting the excess cloth fall over her face. Her sneakers slapped the ground as she broke into a jog. Running always made her feel better. It made her blind to _her_ world, even if it was only for the shortest amount of time. Her world was so full of evil and heartbreak, of magic and goddesses, of inheritance and secrets. It just became too much for even her to deal with.

Her world interfered with her love life, something that had lately been so non-existent, she wasn't sure she remembered ever being in a relationship. It wasn't just her life that was so messed up, but that of her closest friends: Gissele and Evangelina. Although, Gissele was actually doing quite well, considering the fact that she had fallen in love with her protector, Tiberius, and he with her. Ariel and Vange were just out of luck.

Ariel, Gissele, and Vange all had a reason for this strange and unlucky life. They were Pandora Daughters. Daughters of Mischief, as another friend calls them. They were like a neutral version of the Daughters of the Moon, a group of goddesses sent by Selene to basically save the world. Ariel didn't know how Pandora selected her daughters, but she knew that when she received her obsidian six-point star pendant, she was destined for something far greater and more dangerous than what her family had in mind for her.

Ariel held a unique power as well, either from her father, or from her being one of Pandora's, she wasn't sure. She called herself the Dream Maker because she could see peoples' greatest dreams and give them an illusion of it. Early on, she used her power to help her father, who happened to be the right hand man of Lambert, the leader of the _Infidi_.

There are two evil who want her and the other Pandora Daughters. One is the _Infidi_, the treacherous ones. At first, they were just a group of Followers split from the Atrox that grew to have many different ideas. From there, they grew larger and more powerful. The Atrox itself was the other power, an evil so original, it tempted the fall of Lucifer from his place of power.

If the Pandora Daughters were persuaded to come to the side of evil, either group, they would become the Moon Daughters' equals. The four would become rivals against the other four. Only, that would be somewhat very difficult in their case. Both teams shared a very equal bond.

The fourth Daughter of the Moon was also the fourth Pandora Daughter.

Well, that was why her whole life was in extinction. And, honestly, she could use some kind of action. Any kind of action. But who had time for that when you had evil-loving, world-dominating parents trying to teach you the family business, when you were continuously trying to cover up for your friends, and trying to keep a promise to the Need Queen? She had no time for anything else.

This was the world she had grown up in. For better or worse, it was all she had.

Ariel stopped jogging, coming to a slow paced walk. She pushed back her hood, glancing down into a puddle from a recent Los Angeles storm. The water cast a shady reflection of herself. It distorted her true beauty, something she failed to notice most days. Her maroon hair curled around her ears softly; it really needed another trim. In the puddle, her eyes seemed to be too dark and murky, almost the color of the puddle itself, but her eyes were really a unique mixture of green-brown. Or maybe her eyes looked that way because of her lack of sleep lately. Usually, her skin was a healthy peaches-n-cream complexion, but the water cast her gray. Almost the shade of the dead.

She smirked, looking away from the puddle. Water had an uncanny way of showing you exactly how you truly looked. Right now, she was beginning to look like a demon. Ariel clucked her tongue along her teeth, hearing her pierce click against the enamel. She placed her hand on her stomach at the same time, feeling the big hoop her last boyfriend had persuaded her to get. It served as a wonderful reminder of the kind of guys you shouldn't date. Along with those, she also had her favorite pierce: the one in her nipple. It was special because it was her celebration to herself for when she first disobeyed her parents.

She continued to walk the streets, the sweat gathering along her body. Her fingers rubbed into her palm, the moisture spreading.

"What a damn perfect day," she muttered dryly, shooting a glare at a group of leering guys.

She stopped suddenly, force knocking into her. Something in the air had changed drastically. She looked around, cocking an eyebrow up. _What in hell is going on?_ She thought.

The air had become so dry, no longer humid and sticky as it had been only a minute ago. A noise above her made Ariel look up The noise resembled a vacuum, as if something was being sucked up.

Flickering her eyes around, she wondered if any of the other pedestrians noticed. They skirted around her. If these people did notice anything, they didn't let it be known. She licked her bottom lip, edging over towards an abandoned building next to the sidewalk. She was following the strange air path.

As a hole opened in the sky, Ariel watched with increasing alarm. In the next second, a body tumbled out of the hole, and it closed. No one noticed. No one but Ariel.

She debated on forgetting the body and continuing to walk. The lump moaned low and gruff. Sighing, she walked towards it, leaning down. The body belonged to a guy bloodied and scarred. His lips were dry and puffy, his feet were torn and bleeding. There were horribly long scars along his back. Compassion swept over her. Touching a hand to his cheek, she briefly felt a quiver and a piece of his dream.

Freedom. He wanted to taste freedom so much.

"Oh man. Are you okay?"

His eyes could barely focus on her. His words were a jumbled mess. She glanced at his torn feet, still bleeding. She pulled off her short-sleeved hoody. She need to find a sharp object; she didn't know first aid, but she knew she had to stop that bleeding.

After finding a piece of glass, she pulled at the seams of her hoody, trying to cut it. Blood dripped down her wrist from a puncture in her palm. She tied the cloth strips on his feet tightly, eliciting a sharp intake of air from the guy.

"Water?" Ariel offered. She pulled out her water bottle, smearing the plastic with crimson. She pulled the guy's head into her lap, placing the bottle to his lips.

"Her…daughter," he sputtered. Water dribbled down his chin and on her jeans.

"Who's daughter?" she asked. He looked up, his eyes semi-focused. "No, scratch that. Where in hell did you come from?"

"Hell…Water." He opened his mouth to the plastic as Ariel tilted it slightly.

"Man, I have no clue what to do with you," she told him in a low voice. People were already beginning to look. She needed to do something drastic. Closing her eyes, she melded both of them in the shadows.

**Dun dun dun. There you have it! Chapter One!**

**Next Up: Ariel takes this guy to the only place she knows: Torrence's. And there, she finds out who this guy is, and why he was sent. Uh oh. Maybe the answer won't be to Ariel's liking, hm?**


	3. Relying on Torrence

**AN: Go on. Tell me. I'm awful. I'm taking too long to update. I'm going to try and get a whole bunch of chapters typed up over the Thanksgiving Weekend for you guys. But I'm not for sure. So, don't hold me to it. I'll try hard though!!!**

**Part One: Ariel**

**Chapter Two: Relying On Torrence**

Ariel took them to the only place she could think of as a "safe place". She laid the guy on the bed, shooing the puppy off from his resting place. Phobos shot her a dark look, but still obliged such orders from the pixie. He sat on the floor, looking up at the misplaced two, tail wagging.

"Is Torrie here?" Ariel asked in a low whisper. At first, when Torrence made it law to talk to her puppy as if he were a real person, Ariel had real trouble thinking of Phobos as understanding her words. She soon began to realize that the black pup really did understand and could actually hold his own end in a conversation.

Phobos cocked his head at her, then stood, turning towards the nice dog door built into the larger door Torrence used. He slipped through it, and she could hear his soft pads tap against the wood floors.

Ariel sat down next to the guy. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was calm and even. He was actually kind of hot, even dirty and disheveled. His hair was a golden red, long and matted with dirt. She wouldn't be surprised if he had lice. Poor Torrence, she would now have to wash all her bedding. He bordered on being geeky thin, like he didn't eat anything where he came from. She glanced back at the door of the bedroom before letting her hand run over his bare arms, feeling the taut muscles. Grime smeared his body and pants, and now the bedding on which he was laying upon.

In the background, a door opened and closed, and then voices rose. Torrence and Nikolas.

"Hey, Phobos," Nikolas said.

Phobos barked. "I'll be back, Nick," Torrence said.

Torrie's bedroom door opened. Ariel looked at her and smiled. Torrence blinked, glanced over her shoulder real quick, and shut the door behind her.

"Ariel, what's wrong? Are the girls okay?" Tor's voice showed how worried she truly was.

Torrence was an amazing person, both in looks and personality. She was an inch taller than Ariel, with dark tanned skin, long, well-shaped legs, and incredible abs. You could see the hard work she put into her body to keep fit for her belly dancing. Her hair was shoulder length black and could become intensely wild. Her greatest feature, however, were her eyes, inherited by her father. An intense bright blue, they pierced your very being, and she knew how to make someone incredibly small beneath them.

"They're fine," Ariel replied. "It's this guy I'm worrying about."

Torrence finally caught a glance at the guy lying in her bed. She smirked, raising one brow in confusion. "Who is he?"

"Beats me. He fell from the sky."

That black eyebrow rose even higher. "Okay…"

"Torrence, you're a _goddess_. Don't tell me that this is strange for you."

"Unfortunately, I find everything strange these days. You know that I never realized…Oh never mind. You wouldn't get it." Torrence sighed when Ariel gave her a funny look, somewhere along the lines of "retard" and "what the hell?". "Nikolas!"  
On command, Nikolas was at the door. "You're inviting me into your room? I'm going to get a special gift, huh?" Ariel could hear the laugh in his voice. It was now her turn to raise an eyebrow.

Torrence shook her head at her blonde-haired, blue-eyed rocker foster brother. Nikolas grinned broadly at her, noticed Ariel, and winked. It brought a small smile to the pixie's lips.

"What's going on?" Nikolas asked.

"He's hurt," Torrence said, pointing to the guy lying in her head. Good old Torrence, so observant. "So is Ariel, when you're finished."

Nikolas looked the guy curiously before sighing. "Torrie, you're going to owe me big for this."

She clapped him on the back before pulling Ariel away, making sure to grab her arm and not her cut hand. "I'll set you up on a date with Hailley. Just work your magic, rune man."

He smirked, his face twitching slightly, and let his eyes linger on her before moving over to the bed. Only Ariel seemed to catch the look. Or, at least she believed that she was the only one who caught his look. Was Torrence still so caught up on Robert that she couldn't see what goods she had right in front of her, and in such easy proximity?

Ariel looked back at Nikolas. He used his finger to draw a few symbols in the air. The symbols glowed and circled the air until Nikolas blew on them, and they drifted down to settle on the other man's body. Except for the old, deeply imbedded scars from long ago, his wounds healed. This really shouldn't have surprised the maroon-haired girl, but it did. She was even more surprised when the guy she had rescued opened his eyes.

His eyes, they were so clear. They were a real light gray. So light, really, that they seemed to be the color white. Ariel felt mesmerized by them. The feeling, however, didn't last long. The guy, being very shocked and confused by where he was, opened his mouth.

Torrence grabbed his hands, her eyes focused on his. If Tor felt intimidated by his gaze, she never showed it. "Easy. You're among friends."

"How did I get here?" His voice was harsh and thick, a heavy accent deeply intertwined in the vocals.

"Ariel brought you. You're in my room. We want to help you," Torrence told him in a gentle voice.

Ariel watched her. Where did she get her compassion from? Her life had been so hard, and she had never got that love and compassion in her home. Neither did Ariel. So, what was Torrie's secret? How could Torrence be like that when Ariel wanted to lash out at the world, to punish it for her parents?

The guy relaxed in Torrie's presence. "Things look so wrong. Is this the year of 1502?"

"1502? How did you get here from 1502?" Nikolas asked.

"What year is it?" The man demanded gruffly.

"2025," Ariel answered. He turned to look at her. His eyes dropped to her throat. It made her feel uneasy. "Who are you?" She demanded in return.

"I am Prince Orlando, turned slave. Are you the one who brought me here?"

Was he accusing her? "I _saw_ you _drop out of the sky!_ I couldn't _leave_ you on the streets," Ariel told him, clenching her teeth as she did so.

"How did you get to the future, Prince Orlando?" Tor asked, quickly intervening. Nikolas laughed at this. She turned her blue eyes on him. "What's so funny?"

"Just that, you're a princess, and he's a prince. I mean, that's just so…strange."

A ball of ice was chucked at him. He easily ducked out of the way, his grin even broader now. Phobos jumped into the air, grabbing the ball with gusto.

"You're a princess?" Orlando asked with renewed curiosity.

"Well, sort of. Nikolas here, he's a prince, too. "She glared at him. "And Ariel is a princess."

"I am?" Ariel asked, lost. She had never realized that. Tymmie had been a loser before joining the Atrox. The Atrox made him everything that he was today. A bigger, egotistical, powerful loser.

"Yeah. You know, how my father is Prince of Night?"

Ariel got it now. Since her father was Lambert's right hand man, he was kind of like Stanton in a way. If anyone was a princess in the _Infidi_ though, it would be Taylor. Taylor Tritan, the daughter of Lambert and Aura was regal and beautiful, and as evil as Torrence was.

Ariel shook her head. "Look, I need to be going home."

Torrence looked at her with an unreadable expression. "Since when did you ever follow the rules, Ariel? Besides, someone needs to watch Orlando."

"Can't you two?" She whined. What did she want with a whiny slave prince?

"Band practice," Nikolas explained with a shrug.

"I'd love to, Ariel, but the Daughters…"

Ariel nodded. She should have never bothered to help Orlando.

"Daughter…daughter! I remember how I got here!" Orlando exclaimed. His light gray eyes lit up. Ariel couldn't help but once again intently watch him as he looked at the three of them.

**Next Up: Orlando tells the trio of the beautiful woman and his promise to help her daughter in the future, where he is now. Also, a little down time with Miss Torrence Hudson, and what is up with the sparks between Orly and Ariel, and I don't mean the love kind?**

**AN: Nym, sorry for the personal attack on Tymmie. But Ariel hates him. My bad. But he's a very bad parent in this AU. Forgive me?**


	4. Her Sweet Voice

**Part One: Ariel**

**Chapter Three: "Her Sweet Voice"**

"You do?" Torrence asked.

"Yes! I was running away. Without me, my people would no longer suffer, no longer be tortured. With me, there was always a deep fear in my people. A woman, she was very beautiful, she approached me. She told me that I had two choices: I could either stay and live as a slave, or I could protect one of her daughters, Her sweet voice, it's what made me trust her."

"Oh…" Ariel's eyes widened. "Did she…did she where a pendant like this?" Ariel held up the six-point star that hung around her neck.

"Yes. I remember that. Are _you_ that woman's daughter?"

"One of them," Ariel growled, hearing the way he emphasized "you".

"Not to be rude, but, Orlando, you smell," Tor laughed, once again knocking Orlando and Ariel back down.

Orlando turned back to Torrence, staring at her blankly. "I see."

"I could set him up with a shower and some fresh clothes," Nikolas offered.

Torrence nodded gratefully. Nikolas took Orlando by the arm, cracking a joke about being a prince's escort. Torrence began pulling off her sheets as soon as the two boys had left. Ariel reached over to help, as she was the cause as well.

"I feel like we ask too much of you," Ariel finally brought up, glancing over at her younger friend.

A flicker of blue before the bedding was rolled into a ball. "You're not. Neither does Gissele and Evangelina. If anything, Charlie asks too much of me. Did you know we have another performance in three months?"

"In the middle of July?"

"Yeah. I guess I really don't mind. It doesn't bother me, I mean, learning new routines, but you'd think she'd think of our mental health or something," Torrence laughed.

"Is your birthday in July?" Ariel asked curiously, as she didn't even know the girl's date of birth.

Torrence smiled at her, shaking her head. "Actually, October 31st. Halloween. Perfect timing, right?"

"If you say so, princess," Ariel laughed.

"I say so."

"So…" Ariel paused, biting on her lip. "How are you and Robert?"

"He's, uh, still with Maria, the simplest, gorgeous brunette in frickin' history." She said this without hatred, as she would have only a few weeks before.

"You okay with all that?"

"No. I miss him so much. The only time I get to be close with him is when we dance. I miss everything about him… Ella has tried to make me move on, setting me on dates with her boyfriend's buddies. I just can't. I wonder, sometimes, if this was how my mother felt. You know, secretly dating my dad and all. I know it's reversed…" She sighed, touching her hand to her forehead in exasperation.

"Well, at least your parents love each other." Ariel looked at her nails. "The only thing my parents agree on is killing you and Chris."

"A fact I really didn't need to be reminded of."

"You really brought it on yourself, you know. Attacking Tymmie, humiliating him; it just thoroughly pissed him off."

Tor grunted. "Give him my regards, then. The next time you're forced on a happy family outing."

"Oh, yeah. Definitely."

Both girls giggled. Tor was the first to calm down. "Where will you take the slave prince?"

"Probably Gissele's."

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

"So, he's a protector?" Gissele asked curiously. She looked Orlando over carefully.

Ariel had to admit that he had cleaned up good. Luckily, he had no lice, like she really thought, which was, in itself, a wonderful blessing from the gods. She noticed the great wonders Nikolas had done to the prince. He looked nothing like he had in the morning.

"Yes," Tiberius answered for Ariel.

Tiberius and Gissele were the perfect match for each other. If they had been in high school, the whole school would have been unanimous on that decision. Gissele was wild and outgoing, always so animated. Tiberius was quiet and reserved; he only spoke when there was a great need to. That's what Gissele said she liked most about him. He knew how to keep her sane.

They were also gorgeous people. Gissele was small and petite. She was confident, giving off an air of elegance. Her hair was long and fluffy, a cute strawberry blonde color. Her eyes, dark violet, were vibrant, wild, and mysterious. Tiberius was tall and athletically built from his time in ancient Rome. He was sympathetic and caring, as if he knew all your problems. His dark, curly hair framed his face, periodically falling over into his baby green eyes.

Ariel looked up at Tiberius. "So, you know?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Look, this guy is here for you or Evangelina. How will we know which one he is supposed to protect?" Gissele pondered.

"I knew I came here for you," Tiberius answered in his silk voice. She smiled at him lovingly.

Ariel grunted, hating the love. "No love crap now, you two."

"Someone's jealous," Gissele sang.

_I'm not jealous_, Ariel thought. She frowned and turned away. Orlando's eyes rested on hers, seeing into her thoughts.

"This _one_ is the daughter _I_ am to protect?" He asked, a hint of distaste in his voice.

"Yes."

Was 'yes' Tiberius' favorite word? It honestly wouldn't have been shocking to the girls…

Ariel stared hard at Orlando, but she spoke her venom to Tiberius. "He would be better suited with Vange than with me. I told you all before, I don't _need_ a protector. I have powers inherited from my father."

A rare smile. "You cannot choose who you are paired with, or if you cannot receive one in the first place."

Ariel smirked, shrugged with her indifference, and melded into the shadows. Who cared about some slave prince? Why would Pandora send her this guy? She could handle herself just fine!

**Next Up: Orlando takes over the narration, and we'll see what he has to say,or think. And he'll begin the path that leads him and Ariel down a place where neither may not return from.**


	5. Adjustment

**AN: A relatively short chapter, but an update nonetheless. Enjoy.**

**Part Two: Orlando**

**Chapter Four: Adjustment**

Orlando stuffed the raw, bloody meat into his mouth, glancing at the kitchen doorway to make sure neither Gissele nor Tiberius would walk in on him. For the past week, the two of them had been spending much time trying to get him used to this world. Evangelina, the other Pandora Daughter, would help sometimes when she was over. They even had Torrence come over.

Orlando liked Torrence. She was beautiful, and she was kind. In his time, he would have had a princess to marry. He figured that maybe in this time that would happen, too. He told Gissele of his infatuation, but she just laughed Torrence was interested in one guy alone, and she wouldn't be swayed to any other man. At least, that was what Gissele had told him.

The only thing that really upset him in this time was Ariel, the daughter he was supposed to be protecting. Not even learning about technology and how to use it, reading and writing like a normal 21st centurion, and speaking as one as well, unsettled the poor prince as this arrogant, bossy, selfish, and extremely independent girl. She didn't even seem to worry about anyone else around her. She made it _known_ that she didn't care to have him around. Then again, he wasn't so crazy about her either, as they would say.

"That is really disgusting. It thought Gissele was teaching you manners," Ariel's voice came from behind him, smarting off.

He turned to look at her, the blood from the raw meat sliding down his wrists. She sneered at him and the sight, and he could just tell what she was thinking about him: Pathetic. He glared right on back.

"What are you doing here?" Orlando asked her, pulling himself up into his haughty atmosphere.

"I need to ask Gissele something. Not that this is any of your business," she retorted, walking out of the kitchen calmly with a final look of disgust.

He put the meat back in the fridge, wiping his hands on the sides of his jeans to clean them before following after her quietly. She walked towards the bedroom that Tiberius shared with Gissele. She knocked on the door, called for them to get decent, and walked in with ease. Orlando edged closer to the door to listen in.

"Ariel, I love you, but you just don't know when to give people privacy," he heard Gissele scold.

"There was a time when you wanted me to see your sexy naked body."

"That was _before_ I met Tiberius."

Orlando moved closer so that he could see inside of the room. Ariel was lying on the bed, her face tilted away from him. Tiberius was missing from the room. Gissele was picking up a nightgown that had been thrown on the floor, slipping it over her head so that it fell against her small and nude body.

"What's wrong, Ariel?" Gissele sat down on the bed near Ariel's head, petting her hair.

"Tymmie came to visit Mom and me again."

A definite change was felt in the air. Orlando was confused. Who was this Tymmie guy?

"I bet that was a pleasant experience."

"Mom, she can be so normal when he's not around. And then he comes by…" Her voice sounded so sad to him.

"What did he want this time?

"Me, of course! 'Try and get Torrence, Ariel. Save your family pride. You're letting me down, Ariel. You're no daughter of mine. Worthless, pathetic.' The usual, Gissele."

"Gissele laughed harshly. "He still wants you to join the _Infidi_?"

"I just wish…I wish I could have done what Taylor did. She disappeared to hide from her parents."

"If you left us, where would Vange and I be? We need you to get Cameron."

"I know… It's so hard to just be around them, though. All they do is…" She sighed heavily, not even finishing her sentence.

"I know honey, I know." Gissele looked up towards the bedroom doorway. "Orlando, you can come out of hiding."

Orlando swore to himself, feeling stupid for getting caught at eavesdropping on the two girls. He then slipped inside of the room, his head down so that they didn't see his cheeks burn with the shame. Ariel looked away from him, but he caught the tears that were in her eyes from the corner of his eye. Gissele smiled softly at him, getting off the bed and heading into the bathroom to leave them alone.

Orlando wiped his mouth again, still feeling the grime that might be there. He really didn't want to, but the _gentleman_ in him wanted to make sure that Ariel was okay. Ariel sniffed ever so slightly. He walked over to her, to the bed, resting his hand on her bare arm. Her skin was warm to touch.

"Go away, Orlando," she growled.

"You're crying," he stated the obvious, not knowing what else to say in here presence.

"No shit."

He vaguely understood the expression, but not quite, so instead of replying, he sat down next to her. She didn't move away, so that had to be a sign of…something. Instead, she turned her face towards his, looking up at him. Her eyes were cold and deadly.

"Ariel," Orlando said. "Why are you crying?"

"It doesn't matter. "Go away." She feebly pushed at him. He wouldn't budge, not with that weak arm.

"I'm supposed to be your protector," he reminded herm puffing out his chest in importance.

She stared at him indifferently. In the background, they could hear water running from where Gissele was stepping into the shower. With a sigh, Ariel turned away from him again, her mouth drawn up in a heavy scowl and her eyes closed.

And this was the girl he was supposed to have been sent to the future for. Getting used to her was like being thrown into a den a angry, starved lions. Orlando would have actually preferred those lions.

**Next Up: So, what happens when you throw a depressed Ariel and an egotistical Orlando into a bed together? Well, it's not what you're thinking! Or…is it?**


	6. Clash of Egos

**Part Two: Orlando**

**Chapter Five: Clash of Egos**

Angry, Orlando turned Ariel towards him. She growled at him again, punching him in the chest as she did so. Startled, he fell off the bed, landing on the floor with a thump. She glared over the side, challenging him to hit her back. And, boy, he was tempted to do so.

"Do you _dare_ touch me like that again," she warned, sitting up now so that her dagger eyes were positioned at a higher angle than before.

"I was just trying to help. If you weren't such a self-centered woman, maybe we would get along," he yelled at her, huffing.

"So _I'm_ the problem? What about you? You walk around here like you're a fucking god just because you're a dumb ass prince! News flash, Orlando, you were made a slave in your own country, beaten within inches of your life. Today, being royalty counts for shit. I don't care what you are. And to tell you the truth, you _highness_," Ariel hissed, slamming venom behind the word, "Neither does Torrence. You want to know why? Because she is in love with a goddess' son, okay? She could care less. She won't even notice that Nikolas is in love with her," she vented, yelling back to the point that he had to move away from her.

He winced. The truth hurt. Unfortunately, she wouldn't stop there.

"You want to know what's wrong. My father's _evil_, real evil. The only time he ever notices me is when wants something done or he wants to put me down. My mother, she is obsessed with Torrie's father. She can't decide whether to love him or hate him. My father adored my mother once, but she is so blind to anything else that she drove him to the brink!" She let out a loud scream, then collapsed back on the bed, taking deep breaths as the weight she had been carrying rolled off.

"You done having your fit?" He asked quietly, climbing to his knees.

"Yes," she muttered.

Orlando nodded. She propped herself up on her elbows, glaring at him, but the cold was seeping from her eyes slowly but surely.

"I should yell at you more often," she mused at him.

"No, you should not. Look, it may not seem important to you, but being a prince is all I have, I will never forget my time as a slave, the things I learned, or what I went through to survive for myself and my people. I will not…I refuse to be forever remembered for that time! If I seem too good for everyone, too bad. That is how I am, Ariel."

Ariel huffed, pushing her maroon hair behind her ears, and got off of the bed. Orlando followed on her heels out into the living room, not quite finished with her.

"So, I say the truth, and you get all angry about it," Orlando said to, an amused smirk on his face. "Tell me, Ariel. Let me know what you want. Tell me why you have ignored me since you found me that day. Why go through all that trouble?"

"I'm not angry, Orlando. Just…frustrated. I have never needed help because I was always on my own. A few months ago, when I first located Torrence, I was doing as my father wanted. I thought maybe I could end my suffering if I did what he wanted, and I couldn't. I had to go back to her for help. It hurt my pride. It hurt me deeply. When I still ask her for help, it's like a wound that keeps opening on me," Ariel explained, folding her arms across her chest in a guarded expression.

"In my time, I've never met anyone like you. You are a strong warrior. Nothing falters you. You don't let things push you. If I had your personality, those men would have never been able to take me prisoner," Orlando told her, his cheeks faintly glowing pink at the compliment.

Ariel looked stunned at the comment, wondering how this conversation turned around so quickly. Was this how it happened when Tiberius took Gissele?

"How did you get caught? Why did you even let them take you?"

Orlando looked her over, mulling over her questions. She was actually kind of pretty, in an odd way. He was beginning to like her, now that she was opening up. Even with her nasty attitude, he liked her. He got the feeling, deep down, she was beginning to like him, too. He frowned then; this had nothing to do with her questions and getting distracted now would not help. She'd probably attack him.

"You don't want to know," he finally came up with, answering meekly.

Her eyes bore into him. "I do." She stepped closer to him, issuing that silent challenge she seemed to enjoy giving out so much.

"What makes you so angry, Ariel?" He quickly changed the subject. "Is it because they can all find a man, and you can't?"

That did it. Ariel pulled back her fist, catching him on the jaw. Orlando took two steps back, holding a hand to his jaw. His clear eyes took a moment to focus intently on hers. She smiled coldly at him.

"Now, I don't think I deserved _that_," he told her in a relatively calm voice.

"Yeah, I'm sure you think that you deserve to have me drop to my hands and knees and worship you."

"Maybe I do expect that."

She laughed in his face. "Dream on, asshole."

Another glaring match passed between them. He won, hands down. Where did women like these come from? Why couldn't she just be sweet and mild-mannered?

An odd second followed the match.

Orlando didn't know what was happening until he felt the girl's body pressed against his, her lips on his own. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer. Placing his hand on the back of her neck, tilting her head back some, the kiss deepened. His eyes remained opened, as did hers, and it seemed they were sizing each other up. It was an incredible experience for him as they watched each other.

Ariel was the one to pull back first. Her lips were puffed up a little, and her cheeks were growing red by the proximity of their bodies, but she looked nonchalant about their kiss. "Let me do something to you, Orlando."

The offer pleased him. Many things of what she could do to him flitted through his mind. "Really now?"

"Sit," she ordered.

He sat, a smug smile on his face. She then went behind him, holding his head between her expert hands. But then, this was not what the prince was expecting.

"What are you doing, Ariel?" He finally asked, the confusion welling up in him too much to contain any longer.

"Shut up, close your eyes, and relax. You're in expert hands."

**AN: Just like to point out that, no, Ariel is not doing anything sexual. -.-; This is her power. If you don't remember, read Book 2.**

**Next Up: "Do you want to help this evil?"**

** "No. I am not evil, Ariel."**

"**We are all, evil," she whispered.**

**The darkness that lies in the hearts of everyone cannot be still any longer… **


	7. Darkness

**Part Two: Orlando**

**Chapter Six: Darkness**

Orlando closed his eyes, liked Ariel had instructed him to do. Her fingers turned cool against his skin, where they had previously been hot to touch. He felt relaxed under the touch.

"I don't understand what you're doing," Orlando complained, a slight whine to his voice.

"I want to see your greatest dream," Ariel answered him, her voice a soft lilt.

His eyes opened immediately upon hearing those words. He felt strange, as if he wasn't really there. A strange feeling crawled inside of his head, his body. He wanted to shake the feeling out, but he was immobile beneath the vixen's touch. Her fingers continued to hold his head tightly, tighter…

"Oh…God!"

He moved his eyes over to the figure of Evangelina. She was a tall girl, very skinny, very proud. Her hair was long, a mixture of pale blond and a pale brown. Her eyes were wide, the dark blue intense as she watched them.

"Ariel," Evangelina said in her sweet voice," look. Oh, please, look."

Orlando heard the tremble in her voice. Ariel had let go of his head now. She moved around to the front of the chair that he was sitting in, staring hard into his eyes. Evangelina touched her arm, a terrified look in her face.

"Vange," Ariel said sharply, "Go get Gissele."

"Ariel…"

"Go!"

"Ariel," Orlando whispered. "What is wrong?"

"You, Orlando. You are what is wrong."

The answer surprised him. What had he done now? The look she was giving him wasn't one full of fear, like he was used to in his home, but one of distance. That was what confused him. _She wasn't afraid._

"What is my greatest dream, Ariel?" His voice was soft as he asked because he already knew.

"To plunge the world into darkness…" She shook her head, taking a step back from him. "What are you?"

He stood. She took another step. "I was born at a terrible time. My mother almost died giving birth to me. The king, my father, didn't know what to do, so he sent for a sorceress. The sorceress, however, would not save my mother. She refused to. She wanted to kill me as well. She said that I had a power that could allow a great evil to rule the world."

"Do you want to help this evil?"

"No. I am not evil, Ariel!"

"We are all evil," she whispered.

"You believe that you are evil?"

"I now that I am." She disappeared into a shadow, giving him a final look of despair as she did so.

Orlando stood there, wondering what had just transpired between them. A noise knocked him from the trance, and he turned to see who was in the room with him now. Tiberius smiled at him from his place against the wall. Orlando implored him with his to help him understand this all, what was going on now.

"You don't need to worry about Ariel. After all, we all have our demons to plague us," Tiberius explained.

"Even you?"

The smile remained on his face, as if he were amused by all this. "War leaves dark demons in everyone. I've known Ariel for almost two years now, when Pandora sent me to the future, too. She was terrible then, that kid. Through me and Gissele has she begun to share her battles and tears. Be gentle with her. Her wars still rage on, forcing more demons on her by the day."

"Does it have to do with her parents?" Orlando asked.

"Very much so." The smile slipped from his face and his smile turned icy. "Those two have hurt their child beyond any normal comprehension. Some days, she's just fine, and some days she just wants to succumb to that side she's tried so hard to fight."

"Where did she go?" Orlando felt an overwhelming sense that he needed to protect his charge now. He wanted to find Ariel and bring her back, even if she didn't want to be around him because of what he was.

"I'll take you."

Tiberius led him out to his car, a beat up Toyota. Orlando closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the seat as the car started.

Others had been afraid of the prince in the past. Especially the people in his father's court, later to be his own. But Ariel, she saw his power, and he saw no fear in her eyes. It was like she understood. She also had to battle against her inner nature. Like him.

"Ariel," he whispered softly.

**Next Up: The sweetest persuasion of all is an ex-boyfriend, especially one with such powerful ties, as Ariel is soon to find out. But can she fight the lure of the _Infidi_ to seek an even darker power, one that might just belong to her?**


	8. Sweet Persuasions

**AN: I thought I'd let everyone know, last night… I completed Chosen One! D Yay!! So, as soon as I'm finished with this Daughters of Mischief, I'll begin posting it. There are only nine chapters to go.**

**Part Three: Evil**

**Chapter Seven: Sweet Persuasions **

Ariel sat at the bar, her finger tracing the rim of her glass. No one questioned her age. The people here knew her, and knew it, already. This club, Blackout, was set up by Lambert and Aura as a place for the _Infidi_ members to party, much like The Dungeon was a place for the Followers.

Behind her, an arm snaked its way around her neck. It pulled her back some, enough so that a pair of lips touched her cheek. "Haven't seen you in awhile, Ariel."

She turned in the stool, staring up at the guy who popped up behind her. He rested his hands on her thighs, leaning in to give her a light kiss on the lips. "I don't like coming around, Matthew. You know that," she answered when he pulled away.

Matthew snorted, an evil glint in his golden eyes. "You're too much like my sister, Ariel. What's not to like about this life? I mean, you could be my queen."

Ariel ran her fingers through his blonde hair. She and Matthew had been good friends as kids. Matthew was Taylor's older brother, every bit as evil as his parents. And yet, he was a good guy in her eyes.

"Not for me, honey. Come on and spin me around some."

"Hey, I dance so much better now," he whispered the promise in her ear.

"Prove it, big boy.

He led her onto the floor, gripping her to his body. "I have missed you. You were my only true friend."

"Evil doesn't have friends. Is my father still after Torrence?"

"Father put an end to that for now. He has your father searching for my sister. He thinks Tymmie's become too obsessed. I personally believe Father is just trying to protect Stanton's daughter," Matthew laughed, not caring much for the battles of old men.

"Hm," Ariel replied, her body moving with his as she thought about Lambert calling off the hunt for Torrence, and Christopher.

Matthew sucked on her lip a little, trying to bring her attention to him. "Come home with me, Ariel. You've always known how much I've wanted you."

"If I come home with you, I come home to the _Infidi_," she muttered, groaning at his roaming hands. He was making her stand against the _Infidi_ very difficult. When had he become so strong, so _manly?_

"That's not so bad." His hands slid slowly over her breasts, a sly grin on his face as a blush crept up Ariel's neck.

"You accept ev—ooh, don't." Ariel moved closer to him, biting her lip hard. Why couldn't she just back off? Some of the people near them were beginning to watch them.

He licked her neck, and she shivered. "Don't make me take you here on the dance floor. You know I will. You remember that, Ariel?" His whisper made her whimper. How could he even bring that up? She hated him in that moment. He was up to something.

"N-no. I won't go. You can't have me, and neither can the _Infidi_." Ariel didn't understand why, of all places, she had come here. She was an idiot. This should have been expected.

He looked into her glazed-over eyes, a dark and cocky smile on his face. She kissed him, her mouth open and inviting. She wanted so desperately to submit to it all, but she wouldn't become evil and tainted.

Her body flushed with the heat. She _was_ going to make a repeat of two years before! "Matthew." He was her friend; he had to understand.

"Your boyfriend is here. Last chance to take me up on my offer."

Ariel turned her head, spotting Orlando move towards her. Never would she have thought she would be happy to see him. He could anchor her down and away from Matthew and his offer. She smiled shakily at Orlando. But what if he wanted to go, wanted to fulfill his destiny?

"Ariel." Orlando took her hand. He was angry at her for leaving the way she did. Women in his time weren't so insolent. Yet, maybe that's what kept him after her, what really intrigued him.

"Orlando, I don't know who to trust anymore," Ariel whispered, gripping his hand with some strength. He frowned.

Matthew stepped up, his eyes glittering maliciously. "Ariel, you've known me your entire life. Will you choose this slave riff-raff over me?"

"How did you know that I was a slave?" Orlando asked gruffly.

Ariel wrapped her fingers around the slave prince's arm. The music pounded into her head as a chill descended upon her body. Something really wasn't right. "What does Tymmie know, Matthew? What does he know!" She practically shrieked at him.

Orlando felt a sudden ping of fear go through him. They knew that he had been a slave in the past. Did they also know about his power? Ariel tensed beside him. Was she beginning to think the same thing?

Matthew looked slightly upset at the screaming. "I wish you would have come with me. I could have protected you. Whatever Tymmie and Lambert want, they usually get."

The look of horror on her pretty, pixie face chilled Orlando. "What does he mean, Ariel?"

"He means that they're finally going to force me back," she cried, clutching his arm. She didn't want this. She didn't want to join _that_. "What does he know, Matthew?"

A dark voice spoke from behind. Only then did Ariel and Orlando notice the people in the room had stopped dancing, some with looks of fear on their faces, others with bewilderment. "Well, my little Ariel, come with me, and you'll find out."

Orlando turned and faced a guy who couldn't have been any older than himself. His hair was bleached white and framed his youthful face. His eyes, the evil in them made Orlando understand Ariel's fear of her father. But, how could this be her father? He was so young!

"I don't want to go with you," Ariel whimpered.

"You do. You want to know what I know, don't you?"

She nodded feebly. Orlando wanted to stop her, to knock some sense into his charge. He did neither. Instead, he followed father and daughter through the path cleared out from the clubbers. He followed them into the back, a sense of dread filling his stomach like stones as they were ushered into an office room by the one and only Tymmie.

**Next Up: Ariel learns the reason behind Pandora's choice for her as Tymmie dangles a dangerous secret before her and Orlando. What will Tymmie do to control his rebellious daughter?**


	9. A Father's Secret

**Part Three: Evil**

**Chapter Eight: A Father's Secret**

Ariel sat sown in a chair her father indicated to her. Orlando took the seat next to her. Another shiver rocked her body. She fingered her short hair. The feelings of wanting to please her father were erupting in her fiercely. No matter how amny times she tried to not pay attention to the traitorous feelings, she wanted to succumb to all the dark forces of this world and the next.

Tymmie smiled darkly at the two. "Now, don't you two make quite a pair? Pandora made an excellent choice on her part, pairing the two of you up."

"What exactly does that mean?" Orlando questioned. Goosebumps popped up along his arms. Tymmie had a strange effect on him. He was sure that was true for Ariel, too.

"Well, that means that if anyone was to help my daughter's cause, it would be you," Tymmie stated matter-of-factly, sitting up smugly.

"Cut the bullshit, Tymmie. What do you know about Orlando?" Ariel cut to the heart of the matter, swallowing hard.

"I know that he can help us destroy the Atrox, and then the Daughters." The smile he wore was shocking. It was a smile of _pure delight_. "I also know how to tap into his greatest desire."

"You can't know that. Not even I know how!" Orlando exclaimed, jumping up a little.

"Stupid boy, I know many things. You can know these things, too. You can know about Ariel," Tymmie's voice was smooth, drawing both teens in. "Should I tell him, _sweetheart_? Should I tell him about your greatest desire? Or maybe I should start from the beginning when you were born. Now, I haven't told you that one."

"What? What about my birth?" She practically screamed, hooking herself on Tymmie's dangling hook.

"Now, maybe I shouldn't tell you. It's such a dark secret." Tymmie focused his eyes solely on Ariel, his voice lowered into a hushed whisper. "Not even your mother knows."

Ariel's murky eyes widened on that. Cassandra, she was well informed on the things that the _Infidi_ dealt with. "Tell me."

Orlando didn't need to hear this. He had a very good idea at what Ariel's desire was and the secret her father was about to tell. Why would Pandora send _him_ to protect her of _all people_?

"Your greatest desire, as you found out when you were seven, is to wield the greatest power of them all. This prince here happens to be one of the greatest powers." Tymmie shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "I would take him. I doubt you could get to the Atrox.

"When you were born, I was visited by Eris, goddess of discord and chaos. She informed me that you, Ariel, are a great catalyst for chaos, destruction, for plunging the world into dark times. She was actually quite upset that you weren't touched by her.

"I know how to work Orlando's power, and so do you. You are his catalyst. You and him can _help_ the _Inifidi_ rule! It is your greatest desire. Pandora gave you both what you wanted the most: to destroy."

"N-no," Ariel objected, her shaky as she formed the one syllable word. She was too stunned to think. Her whole life she had been working hard to not let her desire win, and then her _fucking_ desire just fell into her lap. All the work, wasted from a single kiss. She could never leave Orlando, that she knew. She couldn't let him suffer a horrible fate because of her. Her father was going to make sure that they used this horrible power.

"No!" She jumped up this time. "I won't use it. I won't do this. I won't do what you want!"

"You have no choice," Tymmie yelled back, losing all his cool. She was so…obstinate!

"I'd rather kill myself than help you," she spat.

"What about Orlando? What does Orlando want? Let's ask him." Tymmie took his evil eyes off his daughter and turned on Orlando. "What do you want?"

"I want to leave. I've endured beatings, and I've almost died to keep my power from being unleashed. Nothing that happens now will change this. I won't let my power out," Orlando told him calmly, his demeanor nearly matching Tymmie's.

"That's too bad."

"No. It's not. I will die to keep evil from winning. You can't have me, or Ariel." He stood up now. Ariel almost cried out in relief.

Tymmie pulled in his anger, unphased by their words. Ariel knew her father better than any of them thought. She was, after all, his daughter. She was like him in some aspects. She grabbed Orlando's hand, ready to flee this place via shadow express. Tymmie's chin jutted up in time. The pixie didn't even get a chance to cry out. She hit the ground with impact, very much like Torrence had when she had brought her to her mother's house.

Orlando knelt beside Ariel, touching her cheek. Her skin was chilly. He turned to look up at her father. "She'll come for me."

"That's what I'm hoping for."

**Next Up: Oh, no! Orlando has been taken by Tymmie. Can Tymmie win after all, holding Orlando hostage? Or will Ariel defy her nature and not try to rescue him? Can you defy who you were born to be?**


	10. Stolen!

**Part Three: Evil**

**Chapter Nine: Stolen!**

Ariel's head pounded. Her back and left arm felt funny, sort of prickly. Her eyelids fluttered as she tried to come to. Everything that had happened came rushing back to her. The impact of her earlier fall made her gasp then. She sat up quickly, realizing that that was a serious mistake. Things around her father's office blurred and spun. Her head felt like liquid. Was she going to fall apart?

Taking deep breaths, her body hunched over for a few minutes, the moment of liquidation passed. She laid a hand on a chair to steady herself as she climbed to her knees. What if she had a concussion? Wait, then it would have already been bad to have been passed out. Her head took another trip just thinking about it. She wasn't going to be able to stand. With a slightly irritating pain, she slipped into the shadows, traveling to Gissele's.

Tiberius took one look at the half-awake girl lying in the middle of the hallway floor, frowned, and picked her up as if she were nothing. She knew that she was indeed not "nothing", but at the time, she lacked the heart, or the ability, to say a word to Tiberius. She rested against his chest as he carried her into the bedroom.

"Oh my!" Vange cried, taking one look at Ariel's pale complexion and assuming the worse as she usually did.

"I'm fine," Ariel growled, waving a hand at the younger girl. "My brain was jostled, but I'm fine."

Tiberius set her down gently on the bed. "Are you sure?"

"Of course." She sank into the springs, letting one arm fall over her face, her nose in the crook of her elbow.

"Oh, baby. What happened?" Gissele crooned, coming closer to the bed.

"Tymmie. He knows, oh, he knows! He knew about Orlando's power. Oh! Orlando! He took Orlando," Ariel cried. A few tears welled up into her eyes as she scrunched her legs up closer to her body.

"Ariel, you have got to calm down. Now. Tell me what's going on," Gissele said, her voice firm and to the point.

Ariel gave a dry chuckle. "Well, apparently, I am going to help plunge the world into darkness because I am the catalyst to Orlando's _dark_ power."

"Wow," Evangelina whispered. Ariel moved her arm out of her face to look at her.

"Yeah. Tymmie… I've always wondered why he kept trying so hard to get me to join him in the _Infidi_. I guess I know now. I…It kind of hurts to know that he never cared about me as his daughter, just as a way to make sure his goals were met."

Vange climbed onto the bed, taking Ariel into her arms. "Forget Tymmie. He doesn't deserve to know you."

Ariel hugged her. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, Ariel," Gissele assured, taking the younger girl's hand.

"No, oh no," Ariel growled. "My guardian was stolen! We have to get him!"

"No," Gissele firmly told her. "You need to relax. What happened after Tymmie told you these things?"

"I was going to take Orlando away from there when Tymmie attacked me. I guess I blacked out from the attack. I banged my head pretty hard, judging from the pain."

"You need to rest then. No protests. I doubt Tymmie will hurt Orlando, and you know that's true, too."

"Gissele…" She whined.

"She's right," Vange agreed.

"Tiberius?"

Tiberius didn't say anything, as was his "usual" way, but he gave her a tiny smile, letting her know that Gissele had won.

"But, Orlando…" She sighed, curling into Gissele's lap.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Orlando snorted. They had him locked in such a tiny room. Like he could have actually escaped from a **_bigger_** room. He paced the tiny room. Heat built up under his skin. It was just like being enslaved all over again.

He pushed his back up against a wall, feeling pressure build in his bladder. No bed, no toilet. He had to relieve himself somewhere before it ended up on him. Sighing, he walked to a corner, dropping his jeans.

When he finished, he made his way to the opposite wall. _Ariel,_ he thought_, I'm your protector, but I need you to protect me now, protection from your father._

He was missing her now. He reflected on their kiss earlier that day. An entire day was all it took to disrupt the life he was working for. His entire existence depended on the pixie now, frighteningly enough. That really was a frightening thought. They just needed each other, pure and simple.

He smiled wryly at that. She had said that she didn't need help. Too bad for her wishes. They were _stuck_ now.

_Forever helping_, he laughed silently.

"Ariel, you ignorant girl, where are you? I really do not wish to stay this night, or any night, in this dungeon-like room. I hope you're okay out there. I know you hit the ground pretty hard. Don't be hurt.

"Pandora, what were you thinking, putting us together, disrupting our plans to keep our darkness out?" Orlando wasn't sure why he was talking to himself, but it made him feel better as time passed.

He yawned. He was tired. Taking off his shirt, he rolled it up. He lay down, using the shirt as his pillow. "Ariel, wait until I wake up to rescue me," he whispered. "I want to remain dignified in this."

His eyes closed, and his breathing became slow and deep. Sleep, however, did not come to him. Finally, he just opened his eyes, rolled onto his back, and stared up at the ceiling.

When would they come for him? He really meant the Daughters of Mischief when he thought this question, but at that point, even Tymmie would have been tolerated. He sighed. What would happen to him in the near future?

It made a tiny shiver run down his spine. He knew exactly what was going to happen to him soon.

**AN: Just for an update, there are now seven chapters remaining, including two more parts and an epilogue.**

**Next Up: Before the big showdown, three people want their views to come across. Get ready to see through the eyes of Gissele, Evangelina, and Tiberius.**


	11. Gissele

**Part Four: Perception**

**Chapter Ten: Gissele**

Gissele paced the length of the kitchen, her pretty head tilted up slightly as her eyes remained on the ceiling tiles. She was trying to repress her feelings concerning Ariel while she thought.

"What are we going to do, Gissele?" Evangelina asked, turning in her seat to look at her mentor.

Gissele stopped pacing, the corners of her mouth turning down as she thought of the girl's question. She could only shake her head. "I don't know. I knocked Ariel out for a few hours, but she's going to want to go after Orlando." She looked over at Tiberius, but his gaze went right through her, his eyes slightly glazed over.

She knew of his past, and of his incredible power. The only other person outside of herself that he told was Torrence, but that was for a cause. Yet, despite her knowing, he would never tell her what he saw in his visions, and that annoyed her. He gave a vague answer if they needed to know, pushing all the girls in the right direction. It happened to be the only thing that marred their seemingly perfect relationship.

"Tiberius," she spoke gently, trying to rouse him from his vision.

He blinked, his eyes beginning to focus on her. "It's dangerous, but we have to go after Tymmie. We have to bring Ariel to Orlando."

"You seem sure that this has to happen," Vange commented.

Gissele bit her lip, watching Tiberius. He had seen a vision that dealt with Ariel and Orlando. She would have given _anything_ to know it. Ariel and she were close, and she wanted to make sure the girl would always be safe. She practically knew everything about Ariel, and once, their friendship had been taken to another level before Tiberius had stalked his way into their lives.

"I'm going to check up on Ariel," Gissele huffed, slipping out of the room as fast as she could.

It had really been a long time since Gissele had seen Ariel happy. She would smile and laugh, but that didn't make her happy. She hadn't been since the Daughters of the Moon found out who they were, and they found out who the Daughters of the Moon were.

Gissele sat on the bed, watching the younger girl closely. They had met three years prior, when she had been sixteen and Ariel fourteen. Since then, their lives had been a constant whirlwind. With the misadventures in Nefandus, nearly being destroyed by the Inner Circle, rescuing Evangelina from Tymmie, dealing with Tiberius the Stalker, and the new thrills with Torrence, Ariel was taking in a lot. Maybe Orlando just wasn't worth it.

She sighed, resting her head in her hands. What was she thinking? Of course Orlando was worth it. Tiberius had been worth it. Granted, she had been the one kidnapped then…By him that is. But wasn't it all worth it now that she could look back on it?

_I can't be questioning this now_, she thought sadly. _What is wrong with me?_

They didn't even get along, Ariel and Orlando! Yet, her friend, _her sister_, was going to risk her neck going up against her _father_ to get him back. Even though she knew that having him around would bring about her greatest desire, she was still going to go up against Tymmie. What courage.

"I guess that you would have to eventually take a stand against Tymmie. But this could be your last, Ariel. Torrence only survived because of her support, her Daughters of the Moon. She nearly failed," Gissele whispered, brushing short wisps of maroon hair from the girl's brow.

With that, Gissele stood up again, walking over to her bedroom closet. She opened the door, shifting through her clothes until she found the garment bag hidden way in the back. She laid it out on the end of the bed, just at Ariel's feet, hoping Ariel would remember it when she woke up.

**AN: Btw, these next three chapters (this included) are notoriously short. Lol. But very useful. Trust me.**

**Next Up: Take a stab at the inner thoughts of the one girl you thought was sweet, and overlooked.**


	12. Evangelina

**Part Four: Perception**

**Chapter Eleven: Evangelina**

Evangelina looked down the length of her long, long legs, pointing her toes out in boredom, then drawing them back in. She smiled when Tiberius patted her on the head, letting her know that she still existed.

She loved her sisters very much, but Gissele and Ariel had a connection that they just couldn't share with her. Sometimes, that made her feel a little alienated. It wasn't her fault that she was the last of them to come into the group. Only Tiberius made her feel like she wasn't invisible. And for that, she loved him.

_No_, she really loved him. She was completely infatuated with him. But he only had eyes for perfect, little Gissele. She was annoyed by it, but she didn't really mind it as much as she would have thought. They were just right together.

"Tiberius, are we going to get Orlando back?"

"Yes." A definite answer.

She tilted her head up, looking into his eyes. "Well, I can't say I'm too excited to see Tymmie again."

"We won't have to. Only Ariel and Orlando will face him."

"How do you know?"

"It comes with age, Evangelina," he told her, keeping a calm face.

As smile spread across her elfish face. "You're deep, Tibby, very deep."

He scowled at the nickname. She loved that. He was always like a dead man, impervious to emotion. It was sexy, but very unusual. She loved when she could bring some kind of emotion to his face. That made her curious. What was it like to make love to Tiberius? Was he passionate in those intimate times, or as emotionless as he was the rest of the time? She really wished she could know.

Gissele walked back into the kitchen, her face smooth and sort of blank. Vange was sure that she would have come back frustrated, or thoughtful, or even angry.

"Okay. Okay," the woman muttered, her shoulders sagging as she gave in.

Tiberius gave her a funny look before crossing over to his lover. She smiled at him brilliantly. Evangelina smoldered a tiny bit. They were connecting, and then Gissele just had to come back into the room with that perfect little body and sweet little smile. She _knew_ it was hopeless to even try, but the obsession to play at the Roman man was too overwhelming for her.

"Okay what?" Vange asked, her voice gruff as the anger deep in her smoldered away.

"Ariel won't back down. We know this. We're not going to let her go alone. We are the Daughters of Mischief. If she stirs up trouble, then we all do."

Vange grinned, actually loving that miniature speech. This could be a test of her skills. "How much longer will she be asleep?"

"Most likely until morning. It's pretty late. We should probably rest up, too," Gissele suggested with a shrug of her shoulders.

_You should just go ahead and announce that you want the love of my life in your bed this instant_, Vange thought dejectedly.

However, the elf just yawned in reply. "I guess so. I'll be out on the couch."

Gissele smiled at her before grabbing Tiberius' hand, taking him down the hall into the guest room since Ariel was in their bedroom.

Vange sighed, plopping down onto the couch. She was a freakin' Amazon! There was **_no way_** she was fitting on this couch. She curled up anyway, her eyes wide open, unable to find sleep as easily as she would have wished. She even thought of sitting outside of their door, listening to them, but that was shameful.

Maybe Evangelina would love her own protector when he came to her, and she could finally forget about the great and silent Tiberius.

**Next Up: The great and silent Tiberius opens up and reveals a hidden secret. **


	13. Tiberius

**AN: Well, this is the last other POV chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I like Tiberius. Also, as a warning, there are some slight spoilers for the next book and later books in this chapter. So, you really don't have to read it if you don't want to. It's not important to the story itself. Just a filler.**

**Part Four: Perception**

**Chapter Twelve: Tiberius**

Tiberius looked into Gissele's sleeping face and smiled. Pandora had truly blessed him with everything he needed.

He remembered the first time he had seen Pandora. He was seventeen at the time and in the great Roman army. During a battle, he was separated from his group and attacked alone. He had been severely wounded, his poor body lying in the middle of some strange field, knowing that was going to die. As his eye sight began to get blurry, a shape bobbed up in front of him, blocking out the bright lights reaching for him. The next thing he knew, he was in a cave, alive and fully healed.

A woman was sitting next to him, smiling a secret smile. Quietly, he watched her, stunned at her eye throbbing beauty. Surely he was touched by the gods with this woman. She didn't speak during their time together, but before she left, she laid a single soft finger on his forehead. She left then, giving him the gift of his visions—or a horrible curse, with some of the things he saw.

Over the next year, he had constant visions. Not a minute could go by without one invading his mind. Eventually, he got used to each one of them assaulting him, learning to move around them and function at a somewhat normal pace. There were, however, these ever persistent ones that he soon realized he needed to follow. They led him to Greece, and back to his mysterious savior. She introduced herself as Pandora and told him that she would give him two life-altering choices: He could either protect one of her daughters, or hurry up and catch the end of his life. Without a beat, he chose to protect the daughter.

That task proved to be a very difficult challenge. Every time he tried to talk to her, she would run away. He tried everything to get her to understand that he was sent by Pandora to protect her. He was even arrested for stalking her, whatever _that_ meant. He eventually escaped from their crude jail cells and went to an extremely drastic measure. He kidnapped her. It was a trying time for the both of them, but they were already falling in love.

Tiberius held his smile. It was a great history.

The only thing that ruined his time these days were his new visions, the ones that were as persistent as the ones showing him the way to Pandora.

Before he left, Pandora had told him something he really didn't care about at the time.

"Tiberius, my magic brought you back from death. My magic will continue to keep you alive now that you have chosen to protect my daughter. I do feel the need to warn you, however. You _are_ a dead man, Tiberius. My magic doesn't last forever. You will die."

He would die, very soon. His vision showed him that. He could never tell Gissele that it was going to happen.

Cupping her face, he kissed her softly. His death would affect her to no end. He knew. He was burdened to know it all. He knew the future. That is what kept him silent. He knew what would happen to everyone and everything. He knew his lover's future, he knew Ariel's and Orlando's, he knew Vange's. He knew the fate of the _Infidi_ and the Atrox to come. He knew the sad fate of Cameron, the trials of Auriella, the death-hazed world of Hailley, and the destiny of Torrence. And no one but him would ever know.

Tiberius lay down, pulling Gissele closer to him. Her skin felt soft against his. He wouldn't contemplate the fate of the world any longer. He would enjoy this time he had left with Gissele, Ariel, and Evangelina. They were his girls, and knowing their futures was not an easy thing to know, let alone think about constantly.

"I love you, Gissele," he whispered.

She kissed his shoulder, holding him closer, mumbling in her half sleep. "Love you, too."

**Next Up: The last four chapters. Ariel goes in for the rescue, backed up by her "family". But Tymmie didn't get his position of power for being a pushover…**


	14. The Rescue

**Part Five: In The End**

**Chapter Thirteen: The Rescue**

Ariel woke up with a small headache thumping in her right temple. Her head felt so heavy as she sat up. It was dark in the room. What time was it now? She looked up at the clock in the room. 6:53.

"Is it morning?" She asked herself, shifting in bed. She heard plastic crumple together by her feet. At the end of the bed was _the_ garment bag.

She stood up, grabbing it. She was planning to get Orlando with or without help, but it felt like such a relief to have her family back her up.

Ariel opened the bag up, dumping the contents onto the bed. "Hello, old friends."

This had been the same outfit she had worn when they had rescued Vange from Tymmie. She had not seen it in a year, having put it away after that rescue. She pulled on the leather pants, loving the way it formed to her legs. Black leather was always her thing. Next was the white, sleeveless turtleneck that fitted down to her midriff. The final touch of the outfit was her black, fingerless gloves. It didn't seem like much, in fact it seemed like nothing, but the gloves were purely magical; they had the blood from the mouth of Tymmie in them.

"Where are my boots?" She asked aloud, picking up the bag and blanket, trying to find them.

"Here."

Tiberius placed the boots on the bed, slipping into the room silently. She smiled at him, sat next to the boots, and pulled them on. Tiberius kneeled down in front of her, helping her lace them up.

"I could have done it," she muttered.

He looked up at her. "I love you, kid."

"I know." She watched him, eyebrows raised.

"Whatever you do, Ariel, go with whatever you feel is best. _Quin vestri viscus rector vos._"

She leaned down, placing a small kiss on his lips. "I don't see why you should have to tell me this. You already know the outcome, don't you?"

But he didn't answer her probing question. He just stood up and walked away.

She looked up at the ceiling, waiting for the other two girls to wake up already. They had to hurry now. Her father could be doing anything to Orlando at the moment.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Tymmie opened the door to the closet he had locked Orlando in. Orlando sat up, glaring at his captor.

"What do you want?"

"My daughter should be coming soon. We should go greet her," Tymmie told him, grabbing his arm and pulling him up.

Orlando went with him, his eyes in narrowed slits. He could hear the distant beat of a "rock" song. Yet, to him, it didn't even look like they were still in the club. Where had Tymmie taken him after Ariel was knocked out?

"You _want_ Ariel and me to rule, don't you? This _Infidi_ you are a part of, you want it to be yours," Orlando stated. No one wanted power for others to have. They wanted it for themselves. And Tymmie didn't seem like the one to disappoint in the matter of power.

Tymmie smiled icily at him. "I could enslave you now, force my daughter to start your power, but I would rather see her suffer. You see, my daughter has never been the most obedient of children. I never _properly_ punished her. I believe it is time I did."

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Cassandra looked her daughter over, sneering in a way that could only show contempt for a person. "You were always a mistake."

Growling in frustration—and hurt—Ariel grabbed her mother, pushing her up against the nearby wall and getting into her face. "Tell me where he is, Mother!" She screamed.

"Ariel, you should have Stanton's daughter, not that whore Torrence. Not with that bitch Serena. _You should have been his._" Cassandra pushed her daughter away, her eyes burning with years of pain and regret. "You know where Tymmie is."

Ariel frowned at Cassandra, understanding that this might be one of the kindest things her mother could possibly do for her: Help her go against her father. "Good-bye, Mother."

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Orlando leaned back against a wall, his eyes closed. "She's stronger than you think." He wasn't sure why he kept warning the guy about Ariel, but it made him feel good to talk about her. She was his charge, and that made him officially proud now.

"Ariel is a reject," Tymmie spat.

"And you saying that only made me stronger, Tymmie," Ariel let him know in a cold, tough tone. "Oh, and don't bother trying to get some stupid kid in here to help you. They are all busy with my sisters."

"You think that will even matter to me?" Tymmie asked her, stroking her cheek with feigned love.

"I'm going to take my guardian, and I never want you to bother me again, Tymmie. For good this time."

"You believe you can just waltz in here and rescue him just like that?" He asked with a laugh on his tongue, as if it were the dumbest thing he had ever heard of. "Have I taught you nothing over the years?"

His eyes connected with her, and she realized too late her mistake when dealing with a deadly serpent like Tymmie. She crumpled to the floor under the full attack of him, her screams piercing Orlando's ears with a harsh hum. The slave prince made towards her, but Tymmie's outstretched hand prevented him from going any further.

"She's in more pain right now than you can imagine. A reject, like I told you. At this rate, she'll be dead in five minutes, maybe less. You can save her, Orlando," Tymmie murmured, his voice soft and seductive. He was trying to lure the poor boy in.

"H-how?" Her screams were felt in his bones. What was wrong with this man? Ignoring his hand, Orlando rushed forward, taking Ariel's body into his arms, but her eyes wouldn't let go of her father's demonic stare.

"Use your power! Use her! You can _save_ her!"

**AN: Oh no! Tymmie has actually attacked Ariel in an attempt to harness the power Orlando possesses.**

**Next Up: Orlando has to make a hard choice. Should he allow Ariel to use his power, to push the world into darkness, in order to save her life? I think Ariel can figure out a way to save them both without unleashing a dangerous curiosity.**


	15. Orlando's Choice

**Part Five: In The End**

**Chapter Fourteen: Orlando's Choice**

Orlando was horrified. He shook his head violently. He would never, _ever_, use his power. He swore to it.

But Ariel was twitching in his arms now, and Tymmie was making the noises of a clock behind him. Tears flooded his eyes in frustration. What was he supposed to do? If he didn't do it, Ariel would die. If he did do it, the world would never be safe. He _had_ to get Tymmie to break his concentration.

Without even giving it another thought, Orlando dropped Ariel, turned, and dived at Tymmie's legs. Caught unaware by the boy's actions, both men fell and tumbled along the floor. Ariel rolled over, released from her father's actions, moaning and holding her head.

Orlando was thrown back as Tymmie righted himself. He tucked and rolled, hearing Ariel's scream once again as he assumed Tymmie began his onslaught over. "I'll do it! I'll use my power! Just stop _hurting_ her." He sat up now, crying. Ariel looked at him, shaking her head against his choice.

"No…Don't do it…I'd rather die than succumb to my desire…" Tears slid down her cheeks as well.

Tymmie laughed again, taking in the entire scene, figuring he had won now. "Isn't this wonderful? You see, Ariel, Orlando welcomes his call. He'll do it."

"I refuse to let myself be used this." Ariel glared up at her father despite the fact that she could barely see because she was still crying and the attack on her mind. "I'll kill myself."

"There's nothing in here you could possibly try to kill yourself with."

Orlando stepped forward. "I can't watch you die, Ariel." He glanced at Tymmie quickly before sitting in front of Ariel. He grabbed her head tightly in his hands, despite the wince and hiss she gave from the contact. She struggled to get free, regardless of the pain, clawing at his hands, but she was just too weak now. All she could really do was meekly cry out at him.

His hands shook from fear as he rested his forehead against hers. "Forgive me?"

"I don't want this," she moaned. "Don't use the power; we won't be able to stop if we do."

He leaned in closer, making it seem like he was trying to use Ariel as the catalyst. "You said before that you have powers inherited from your father," he whispered softly so that Tymmie wouldn't even know that he was talking to her.

Her eyes widened. "Let me go!" She shouted, trying to make it seem like she was still struggling against him for Tymmie's sake.

His hands dropped from her head, and Ariel disappeared. Bewildered, Tymmie looked around. He seemed confused, as if he didn't know whether or not his daughter was supposed to disappear like that. However, he didn't really get the chance to register if that was what was supposed to happen because she then popped back up in front of him, using her inherited ability, blasting him in the head with a bat she had obtained from somewhere, which splintered and broke with a sickening crack across his face. Blood splattered over her white shirt, but it didn't matter in the least bit. He was an Immortal of course, and this wouldn't faze him in the slightest, but it let him know that she wouldn't give up like that.

"Reject, am I?" She spat, both with her words and actual saliva. "The great second in command befallen by a goddamned baseball bat. A wooden one, even."

Tymmie groaned and rolled away from her, the psychotic girl he created with his own chromosomes, blood spilling from his face. Despite the wound, he still got up. "I will kill you for this."

Orlando stood beside Ariel and took her hand as she dropped the bat on the floor beside her father's shoes. "We'll kill you before you can even try," he threatened.

"I _will_ unleash his power, Tymmie. He made his choice. His destructive gift will only be used on you. Do you understand us?"

Tymmie was backed into a corner, and he knew it. His nostrils flared with the indignation and his eyebrows came together in his boiling rage. "You would kill your own father?"

"I have no parents," Ariel stated so firmly, it was the truth to Orlando's ears.

"If you were to kill me, others would come after you."

"We'll be ready for them all," Orlando told him, nodding for emphasis.

"Leave now, before I lose my temper." Tymmie turned from them, swiping the blood from his face onto the floor.

Ariel looked up at Orlando, into his clear eyes. _We won_, she thought to herself. With an eerie smile, she turned back to her father. "You should really frame that bat. It's a keepsake, I promise."

Orlando tugged at her arm, pulling her to the door. Tymmie didn't reply. When they reached the others in a different room, Gissele and Evangelina both cried out, seeing the splattered blood on both Ariel and Orlando, and the broken blood vessels in Ariel's muddy-green eyes.

Tiberius smiled at them, a knowing smile that they tiredly returned. "I knew you would make the right choice, Orlando."

"What choice did I make?" Orlando didn't really feel as if had made a choice.

"You chose to only use your gift to destroy evil, not aid it. Congratulations."

**AN: I've noticed something… I have an obsession with light colored eyes, like grey and stuff. I can't help it. I love the color. It's pretty. Because it looks like silver, and silver is my favorite color. BTW, two chapters remain!!!**

**Next Up: Ariel and Orlando learn what it means to be with Pandora, and a look back on the night Blaze goes to the Saratoga house to see Auriella's mom.**


	16. The Right Decisions

**AN: I had meant to let you know what **_Quin vestri viscus rector vos_** meant in Chapter 13, but I forgot. So let me translate it now. Basically it's, But come now, your heart guide you.**

**Btw: This is the last chapter.**

**Part Five: In The End**

**Chapter Fifteen: The Right Decisions**

Ariel stood outside, staring up at the full moon sitting fat in the sky above her. I was so incredibly beautiful. She wished she could have appreciated the beauty of the moon long before this night. Maybe it would have made things a slim bit easier for her. She tore her head from the sight, gazing at Orlando.

"You stupid, spoiled prince!" She exclaimed, pushing her fists up on her hips.

He blinked at her, suddenly confused at the erratic change of moods. "What?"

"You made me cry. I cried in front of the enemy!" She glared at him as if it were the worse thing in the world to happen.

"I was saving your life, you ungrateful wench."

She took a step towards him. "I told you before, I can handle myself. I could have easily gotten out of that."

Orlando laughed, reaching over and pulling her closer to him. "You can stop acting like you're he tough warrior around me."

Smiling, she kissed him, feeling a warmth travel through her body and settle in her stomach. "Just promise me you won't lust after Torrence anymore."

"Uh…Well…"He swiveled his eyes, making an exaggeration of the affair.

She pulled her fist back, punching him hard in the chest. "You asshole," she huffed and proceeded to walk away. A jealous little spitfire she was…

"I was doing the joke thing, Ariel," he whined after her. "Come on. It's not that serious."

She fell to her knees some yards away, staring up at the moon. "Orlando, the Pandora Daughters, they have no alliance. I _want_ an alliance."

He knelt beside her. "What do you mean?"

"Will you pledge your life to Selene, the moon goddess?"

"With you?"

"Yes."

"I'd do anything with you. I chose to use my gift against evil."

Ariel nodded, happy with his answer. "Mother Moon, my guardian and I are your servants. Use us at your will."

It was then, after the word "will", a woman appeared before Ariel, a solemn and yet happy look on her face. "My dear."

"It's you…" Orlando bowed to the woman who had brought him to Ariel.

Ariel glanced at him, then back up at the mysterious woman. "You are my true mother. You are Pandora!"

Pandora smiled, leaned forward to touch the charm around the girl's neck, and then pulled back to stand up straight. "You have chosen to become a beacon of hope. This duty will not be an easy one. Yet, darkness rules neither of your hearts. _Ruina Pandora non pulsatus vos. Prosectus lux lucis luna, meus filia._"

Ariel looked down at the necklace around her neck, seeing that the charm was now white. "It never did, Pandora."

The woman smiled, looking towards the moon. "I must tell you something."

Ariel and Orlando watched her closely, Ariel slowly getting an inkling of what Pandora might want to tell her and her "protector". Finally, Pandora shook her head. "Good luck."

Blinking slowly, Orlando turned to Ariel after Pandora was gone. "That was odd."

"She wanted to say something else."

"How do you know?"

"You could hear it. I think I might know, too. I think I understand what it means to be a Daughter of Mischief."

Smiling, she launched herself at Orlando, kissing him with renewed vigor. Startled, he fell back, taking Ariel with him. Digging his hands into her hair, he kissed her deeply while her knees pressed into his sides.

"You want to move in with me?" Ariel asked when she eventually came up for air.

"You want to get married?" Orlando retorted, watched her already flushed face grow in tinges of pink.

She stopped smiling, looking down at him with a startled look. "Are you serious?" Her voice was small as she spoke, as if she couldn't breathe right.

"I'm not sure," he finally told her, feeling confused at her reaction. He wasn't sure if he was being serious or was joking. When heard her ask to move in with her, his question just popped out of his mouth before he could even think.

Ariel lay on top of him, tucking her head under his chin. "Are we too young to be married?"

"Not in my time," he replied, wrapping his arms around her.

"If I got married, that would change my entire persona."

"I believe that it needs to be changed."

She sat up, glaring at him. "You know what, forget marriage. Why the hell would I even think about marrying you?"

"We are stuck together," Orlando reminded her.

"Gissele and Tiberius aren't married," she pointed out to him.

"We're not them."

"They're in love. We just fight, and then we kiss. It's not a relationship."

He gave her a level look. What had happened to them now? Earlier they were planning on sacrificing so many things to save each other.

Ariel rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll think on it. Next time you propose, you better have a ring," she threatened. "Also, Tiberius isn't finished teaching you."

"I was hoping _you_ would continue my lessons."

"Lecherous prince."

Grabbing her hips, her rolled over so that she was pinned beneath him. "Ariel, Ariel, Ariel."

"We made the right decisions, right?"

He tilted his head slightly, his eyebrow raised. "Yes."

Her eyes drifted up to the moon again, and the glow was a comfort, calming her. Was this how Torrence felt when she saw the moon? Orlando brought her back to reality when he began to kiss her again.

**AN: Translation – The Curse of Pandora has not touched you. Go with the light of the moon, my daughter.**

**Well, this is the end. Go read the epilogue and preview!**

**Next Up: Epilogue & Preview of Chosen One**


	17. Epilogue

**AN: Set roughly about a week before Daughters of Mischief begins. Then DoM goes on for about eight days. Confusing I know. Chosen One begins near the end of this; roughly around the same time Ariel and Tymmie are fighting is the same time Part One in Chosen One happens. Just to give everyone a bit of the time sequence.**

**Epilogue**

Cameron "Blaze" Mitchells stepped into the Saratoga residence, following Auriella Saratoga. Both girls were confused as to why Torrence had sent them here. Surprised, Vanessa—Auriella's mother—greeted them in the hallway.

"Go on up to bed, Auriella," Vanessa told her daughter. Ella glanced at her mother and Blaze before shrugging and heading up the stairs, two at a time.

Blaze cracked her neck, feeling nervous. Torrence had said that Vanessa had something for her. What was it that she had that Blaze needed?

"Follow me, Cameron," Vanessa said, smiling that cute little smile her daughter was famous for.

"Mrs. Saratoga, what is this all about?" Blaze asked, following the chipper blonde housewife into the kitchen.

"Every good answer will come in time. For now, I am just going to give you this."

Vanessa picked up a box on the kitchen counter. Turning around, she placed it in Blaze's hand. Blaze opened the box, glancing up at Vanessa the whole time she did so. In the bleach white box was a chain, and on the chain was a six-point star pendant, obsidian black.

"What is this?" She asked as she put it on; her hands had suddenly gotten a will of their own.

"A necklace, of course. "Vanessa smiled again. "Your parents must be worried sick about you. I'll call you a cab."

Blaze ran her fingers over the smooth stone. She thought she could feel it pulse. It was a comfort, much like her moon amulet.

"Thanks."

She stepped out onto the porch, waiting for that cab. Her father was going to kill her for being out so late.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**PREVIEW**

Conrad! Conrad couldn't be the one, right? "Cameron! What's going on?" He yelled. He was gripping her arm, his eyes wide.

She had to know. Her irrational side needed to know. She leaned in closer to him so that her amulet brushed the naked skin of his arm. Conrad took it as a sign that she was scared too, and he pulled her in closer, holding her by the waist. It was nice, being in his arms, but she pushed him away, quelled those growing feelings, and gave him a dirty look.

"Not now, Conrad," Blaze scolded.

"You look like you need comforting," he reasoned, but now he was beginning to look around in confusion again.

"Something's wrong," Blaze murmured.

"Yeah. Time has stopped."

"No. Not that! I'm _used_ to that! I don't get it!"

Conrad gave her an incredulous look, not understanding. "Used to…time stopping?"

"_Please_." Blaze touched her amulet. She was beginning to shake now, but she didn't know from what exactly. How was she going to protect Conrad without Hailley?

**Well, that's it! The end. Stay tuned for Chosen One, which I should be posting soon! I hoped you enjoyed this side story about Ariel and Orlando, and this preview of Blaze's narration.**


End file.
